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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mark — a trace
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. cue — a hint
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pass — a permit
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. track — to keep track
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com